WHAT IS TINNITUS?
You may think you’re familiar with it, but what is tinnitus exactly and what causes it?
Before getting into the details, for any employer with responsibility for noise management under The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, it’s important to know about tinnitus.
It can be a symptom of hearing loss, which is a growing problem – by 2050, one in four will live with some degree of hearing loss, according to the World Health Organization.
So, what is tinnitus? And what is it caused by? Moreover, is there such a thing as a tinnitus cure?
Here is our comprehensive guide, with answers to these questions and many more.
What is tinnitus?
In most cases, having tinnitus means that you perceive noises when no matching external sounds are present.
While there is some evidence that it can be genetic, much more often there are underlying causes, meaning that it is an overall symptom rather than a disease.
How common is tinnitus? According to the British Tinnitus Association (BTA), it’s very prevalent, with approximately 30% of people experiencing it at least once in their life.
However, persistent tinnitus is something which about 13% – more than one in eight people – have to live with.
What causes tinnitus?
The primary causes of tinnitus are mental or physical changes in the amount of information sent to the brain.
When this happens, the brain responds by attempting to receive more information from the ear – this creates the perception of sounds.
What is tinnitus caused by? Well-established reasons for these mental or physical changes include:
Hearing damage
Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss
Ear infections
Head injuries
Emotional stress
Side effects of certain medications
Tinnitus sounds aren’t always experienced in the head or both ears. Sometimes, it only occurs in one ear – this is unilateral tinnitus.
One of the most common causes of tinnitus in one ear only is the build-up of too much earwax, which can be straightforward to remove.
However, other causes of tinnitus in one ear only include:
Eardrum perforation
Ménière’s disease
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Infections
Regarding COVID-19 and tinnitus, recently ‘long COVID’ has been recognised by the NHS as a cause of tinnitus and earaches.
Tinnitus symptoms
What does tinnitus sound like? It varies, but often it’s the following types of noises:
Ringing
Humming
Buzzing
Hissing
Throbbing
Whooshing
These sounds can be continuous, or more intermittent.
If you think you may be hearing a noise like this regularly or constantly, you should see a GP. They may refer you to a specialist or audiologist who will conduct a tinnitus test.
Long-term, the frustration of experiencing tinnitus can lead to disturbed sleep, anxiety and depression.
What are the different types of tinnitus?
The two main types of tinnitus are typically classed as:
Subjective:The sounds which the individual hears, either in their head or ears, are not audible to anyone else
Objective:These sounds may also be heard by others
Objective tinnitus – sounds produced by functions in the blood flow and musculo-skeleteal movement systems – is much rarer, representing under 1% of total casesaccording to the American Tinnitus Association.
While most cases are subjective, there are other sub-categorisations:
Neurological tinnitus:
Caused by disorders affecting the brain’s auditory functions
Somatic tinnitus:
Caused by changes in sensory information from the cervical spine or jaw
Pulsatile tinnitus:
Caused by a change in blood flow; the sounds produced are rhythmic, matching the heartbeat
One other subtype is musical tinnitus, which is the experience of hearing a melody with no external source. Also known as musical hallucinations or musical ear syndrome, it tends to occur amongst those who have had hearing loss or tinnitus for a long period of time.
Is there a cure?
Does tinnitus go away by itself? For most minor cases, it often disappears naturally. In some persistent cases, it may become much less noticeable over time. However, is tinnitus curable?
Sadly, the answer is no – there is no scientifically proven tinnitus cure. That’s why it’s so important to take preventative measures, to stop it from becoming something you may have to live with permanently.
For anyone wanting to know how to get rid of tinnitus, while that may not always be possible, there are several management and treatment options to alleviate the experience.
You can read about these in detail on NHS Inform and to summarise, they are:
Treating the underlying health condition:
For example, when it’s a build-up of earwax. However, in many cases, the cause is not detectable
Correcting even minor hearing loss:
To avoid straining to listen and worsening the tinnitus – in some cases, this could mean having a hearing aid fitted
Self-help:
Hobbies, relaxing with deep breathing or yoga, listening to music, avoiding caffeine or alcohol and attending support groups can all help manage the condition
Sound therapy:
Also known as sound enrichment, this is the act of filling silence with background noise – that could mean leaving the window open or TV on, or alternatively using a specially-designed noise generator
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT):
This treatment aims to retrain your way of thinking, with the goal of reducing any anxiety and depression associated with this condition
Counselling:
A healthcare professional, such as a hearing therapist or audiologist, can work with the patient to help understand and find ways of coping
Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT):
A more specific version of CBT, featuring more intensive sound therapy and counselling
The BTA also has several helpful resources, including its online Take on Tinnitus initiative.
Conclusion: what is tinnitus?
Common symptoms include hearing ringing, humming or buzzing noises. What is tinnitus exactly? Technically it’s the brain attempting to receive more information from the ear, producing sounds in the process.
However, for those who have to live with it persistently, it can be more than the noise; it can be an anxious and depressing experience – unfortunately there is no proven cure, but there are several ways of treating or managing the effects.
One of the most common causes is noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), which has been linked to a decline in brain function and dementia.
Protect yourself from hearing loss with EAVE
Here at EAVE, our CEO David Greenberg has experience in tinnitus research and we believe in fighting NIHL via preventative measures.
Our research is based on information from the British Tinnitus Association and World Health Organization. If you are experiencing any symptoms, we recommend that you seek medical attention.
For more information about how to prevent tinnitus using EAVE’s workplace noise management solution, please get in touch with us.